UPDATED GAME HERE: http://www.arthurmc.co.uk/games/office-escape
Here’s my first stab at sharing a game, from the Text101 project.
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It’s very short, but it works OK. I tried for a while to implement an image inventory but failed miserably. Hopefully the course will teach me that soon! Any comments welcome.
Only thing missing is another couple of puzzles and a cartoon style point and click interface, and you’d be reviving the old LucasArts and Sierra games. Thumbs up for storytelling that works, even if it is short. The slight abrupt finale could work great if this was setting up the mood, then cut scene, then get on with the real storyline.
Good job!
Ha! Thanks. That was precisely my intro to gaming so I’ll take it!
The writing was a bit rushed, and I’m already thinking of things that could be done better but I’m so early in the course, think I’ll plough on for now.
I’ve had a few ideas to seriously expand this story. However I’m not sure about my format:
I like how the ‘type the orange letter’ thing works, but in practice I think it might be a bit confusing when the only option is to return, but you don’t have an orange R telling you explicitly what you can do. Do you think it’s better to list the commands in a more standard way?
Do you think when all the actions have been expended on an item (i.e. you’ve looked at something which won’t figure in the later game) you should be able to return to it again and again, or should it be removed from your list of options? Either way involves loads of duplicate states, but I’d be interested in anyone’s opinions.
For me the initial instructions about the ‘R’ was enough. I also think those kinds of mchanics tend to help keep players in the flow channel, as it tricks the player into feeling good about themself by teaching the game mechanics. A middle path might be to include a standard F1 for help, which lists all possible commands (but I don’t really think it is necessary).
About exhausting the options on an item, I had a chuckle at one of the feedbacks I got when I tried the game, which was something like “it’s not there anymore” (sorry, too lazy to try again). I think those kinds of responses work great for players with repeated actions, (e.g. “yet again, you look inside the chest hoping to find a pirate treasure. Again, there’s NOTHING IN THERE!” etc). It’s a little bit different when it comes to items that can be pickd up, but these should be rather easy to give a state (bool Removed false/true) and list as part of the text based on the bool’s value, don’t you think?
Hey, thanks for the feedback. I extended the story quite a lot, and worked in several different feedbacks for the same item, as that seemed to be popular with a couple of people! The look has been improved a bit as well. There’s also muteable bg music.
Good job! 